Harbingers of the End
by IchiFell
Summary: After his defeat of Aizen, Ichigo fell into a rut. Life lost its luster for him. That is, until Isshin forced him into the Beta for Sword Art Online. Dragged into this new world of wonder, what will the game drag him through after a glitch occurs in the programming? And will he survive long enough to become the Harbinger of the game's end?


**A/N: Yes yes, I know, another bloody story. What can I say? These get lodged in my head like flies in honey. This one, however, has been battering about for a while now. I hope you will enjoy this one as well as my other, but for now, letsa go!**

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"Ichigo. Iiiichigo. Iiiiichiiiigoooo!" Isshin was calling out, prodding his son in his face. Each poke increased the number of tic marks on Ichigo's head as he tried to ignore his father before he snapped.

"What!?" Ichigo shouted, backhanding his dad clean off his feet. "What do you want, old man!"

"Nice hit, son!" He said in a playfully serious voice before going entirely playful. "Anyways, guess what I got to get you out of your moping!" And without waiting for a response, Isshin whipped out a box with a head device...thing on the front and a game that didn't look familiar to him. "I got you the beta version of this game called Sword Art Online for the Nerve Gear!"

"The what for the who now?" Ichigo said with a blank look. "And I am not moping!"

Isshin just looked at him. "Ichigo, you are moping. You barely talk to your old friends, you lock yourself up in your room doing nothing all day, and your grades are dragging behind as well. So, I figured that you need something to take your mind off of things, and this is it!" He then brandished the game and Nerve Gear with an excited look. "Through a process I could not even begin to understand, this device takes your mind into the game where you then control an avatar like your would your own body! And the game, of which is currently in Beta, is all about swordplay, so I figure that would be right down your alley!"

Ichigo just sighed, taking the game and system from his dad. "Whatever, might as well give it a try. I hate to say this, but you do have a point after all." And having had said his piece, Ichigo walked up the stairs and out of earshot of Isshin. Said man's face grew deadly serious.

"I am sorry for what I am dragging you into, Ichigo, but they will need you when the time comes." Isshin whispered to himself before shaking his head.

(XoxoX)

_'He really does have a point though.'_ Ichigo thought to himself as he plopped himself on his bed. _'Ever since I lost my powers to seal up Aizen, nothing has been the same. I can't see my friends without being reminded of how weak I am, of how I can't protect them, and it has been affecting my sleep as well.'_ He then looked down at the game by his feet._ 'Well, can't hurt to try it out, can it?'_

Making up his mind, Ichigo opened his game first, reading through the manual so he didn't go in uninformed, before pulling the box for his NerveGear up. Pulling the device out, he pluged it in as he read the instructions. _'Okay, so I have to power this on through a button on the side like so...then I have to put it on and touch where it says so it can calibrate to by body...'_ He read to himself, following the instructions explicitly. _'Now I just put the disk in through this slot here and...'_ "Link Start!"

He had a sense of vertigo as everything turned white before various colored boxes came flying up and past him. Five blue orbs then appeared on-screen, taking up most of it, before moving to the side then launching off-screen, all of them having turned green.

(What is your chosen name?)

The words appeared before him and Ichigo gave it no thought, maneuvering his hands over the keyboard in front of him. He simply put his name in before moving on, creating an account for himself. The game then made him adjust his character, and he chose to make it look like he did after the Dangai training, as it was the exact look he chose to keep afterwords. With the final set-up complete, he was forcefully entered the game in a flash of light, causing him to cover his eyes.

When he felt it was okay to open them again, Ichigo's jaw dropped. It was as if he was in another dimension entirely. The world's quality was almost lifelike, every building surrounding him looking like it was detailed extensively. His blood was pumping and he could not deny that he couldn't wait to at least begin the game now. As he moved through the town aimlessly, he came to a large open courtyard with a massive fountain in the center. Above the fountain, in huge letters, was something that made him smile.

(Welcome, Ichigo, to the grand world of Aincrad!)

(A world of wonder, adventure, and enjoyment right at your fingertips!)

(Here, you start in the Town of Beginnings, but you will work your way to the top!)

(Have fun, young explorer, and fight your way to the top!)

"They really pulled no stops with this game, did they?" Ichigo rhetorically asked out loud before jumping when he got a response.

"Indeed, new player Ichigo." A female voice said from behind him. Swerving around, he saw a girl with three red whisker marks below each eye and dark brown hair.

"Who are you?" Ichigo said, causing the girl to laugh. "And how did you know I was new?"

"My name, if you look to the upper right of your view screen, is Argo, and I revolve around information. As to how I know you are new, well, you have several factors pointing to it. The first is that you are a new face entering the Beta two weeks into the start of it, and then there's the fact that you are so enraptured in the graphics."

Ichigo blushed lightly at how easily he was read before talking again. "Well, you know my name and that I am new, so what do you want with me if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, I figured that you would want some help, considering that I have two weeks of experience on you." She said while stifling her laugh. "And since there is no better information broker out there, I figured I would be best to help!"

"You just happened to stumble upon me and found me interesting, didn't you?" Ichigo deadpanned, causing Argo to laugh and look away while scratching her cheek. "Well, help would be nice. So, first of all, where do I get a weapon?"

"Right this way!" Argo exclaimed, dragging Ichigo by the arm. "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of sword do you want to use?"

Ichigo, while running behind her to not get dragged, thought for a moment. "A two-handed sword would be preferable, though a smaller daito would work as well."

"Ah, so you are a strength kind of player, one who does the most damage you can per strike!" She exclaimed. "In that case, we just need to focus more on using your money for two different swords so you can change on the fly! I can let you borrow some money, but..." She trailed off, hinting at something.

"But I would owe you a favor, wouldn't I?" Ichigo said, sighing a little. "Fine, fine, I will give you a favor in exchange."

"Ah ah ah, you must agree that I can use this favor whenever or wherever I desire." She said, laying it on a bit thicker.

"Fine!" Ichigo yelled. "The favor will be under your conditions, just let me borrow what I need, okay?"

Argo's eyes got an excited gleam as they ran up to the vender she knew would be perfect for him. Turning to him after manipulating her menu some, a pouch of gold appeared in her hand as she moved it to her "Alright, here's two thousand gold to boost the thousand you already start with, spend it wisely!"

Grunting in acceptance, Ichigo took the pouch and interacted with the vender's NPC. He scanned through quickly, seeing a standard looking black daito called [Kuro Yabun] and a zweihänder by the name of [Koutetsu Zetsumei]. Thankfully for him, when both swords were bought, only half of his funds were left.

"Okay, now where is an armor vender?" Ichigo asked, craning his neck to search for another NPC.

"Um...right next to you. " Argo said, a sweatdrop forming on her head while she pointed to a small child that was right behind him. Ichigo just grumbled a little as he looked through the small child's wares. He settled on a very basic cloth outfit, using the minimum speed penalty that comes with it. It was just a black pair of shorts and shirt, but Argo gave an appreciative whistle. "Well, with all that out of the way, lets get you some training!" And she took off, leaving Ichigo in the dust.

"Oye!" He shouted, running as fast as his stats would let him. He was only met with mocking laughter as he chased after the ratty girl, a smile of his own mimicking Argo's.

Though she was clearly faster than him, Argo slowed down to a speed to let Ichigo keep up, allowing a fair chase through the Town of Beginnings, all the way out to the fields that were just filled with pigs. When Ichigo made it to the field ten seconds behind Argo, he saw her in a wide stance, an arm extended out to the pigs. "These are the first monster you will fight!" She said, a grin on her face. "All you really have to do here is strike and dodge with your sword, simple as can be!"

Nodding, Ichigo manipulated his own menu to equip [Koutetsu Zetsumei], then squared off against a pig. A couple of seconds passed, with Ichigo staring intently at the pig with his sword at his side, before he rushed out, swinging the sword in an upward diagonal slash, bisecting the pig in a single blow.

"Nice job. You used a skill move on your first try!" Argo said, clapping at him before getting serious. "Remember though, at the end of each skill move there is a small cooldown period where you cannot move. It varies per move, but it leaves you very open." She then stretched out before using her menu again. In front of Ichigo opened a box. It was a simple blue box, with a green checkmark and a red X in the center, and it read [Do you accept Argo's friend request?].

Ichigo looked at her in curiosity, silently inquiring her about the decision, and she quickly answered him. "How can I cash in this favor you owe me if I am unable to find you, Ichigo?" The answer came out in a mock-condescending way, and Ichigo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Okay, you have a point there." He conceded before accepting the request.

"Well, see you later!" She said. "I have to go now, but we will talk later, okay?"

"Got it, Argo." Ichigo said with a smile, waving as she faded out of the game. He then turned his attention to the pigs that needed wiping out before letting out a war cry, charging at them.

(Timeskip: Two Weeks Later)

Since Ichigo began the game, everyone noticed the improvement of his mood. He was more active again, talking to his friends once more, but he was also notably addicted to the game. Every day, for hours on end, Ichigo would play Sword Art Online. He wasted time talking to Argo while completing quests with an intense fervor. He quickly rose up in the ranks of Beta Testers, becoming one of the top leveled characters due to his experience with swords and having access to all the information in the game from Argo.

All too soon, however, the Beta came to an end. On the last day, Ichigo and Argo ran through the last floor that got opened, floor 10, rushing to the boss room. With grins deeply ingrained on their avatar's faces, they ran up to the boss and slashed away haphazardly, chipping down its health ever so slowly before it retaliated, decimating the both of them in a quick combo.

When they re-spawned in the floor's town, both were laughing, patting each other on the back for their complete fail, drawing confused looks from the surrounding players.

"Ah, that was fun, Argo!" Ichigo said with mirth before sobering. "But it sucks that today is the last we have."

"Ah, don't say that!" Argo replied, slapping him on the arm. "We just have to wait two months before the real thing comes out! And you can't forget, you still owe me that favor from when we first met!"

"You still remember that? Darn, I hoped otherwise." Ichigo said, kicking a pebble on the road while smirking. "Well, I guess we will just have to friend each other once the game comes out!"

"So we can't change our character's names, okay?" Argo declared, holding a hand up high.

"Of course!" And as they gave one final high-five, the game auto-booted everyone out of the game. Ichigo was immediately met with the screen of the Nerve Gear, lying on his bed while contemplating the months to come. Silently, he pulled the helmet on his head off, setting it aside before blowing a saddened sigh from his lungs.

He then slid himself on to his feet off the bed he laid upon. Stretching his arms, Ichigo walked down the stairs to the living room, walking in to see everyone watching a movie. Silently, Ichigo moved to sit down in the only open seat, right next to Isshin. When he was comfortably seated, Isshin began whispering to him. _"The beta is over?"_

"_Yeah."_ Ichigo said, not taking his eyes off the TV.

"_You know that you are automatically getting the game when it comes out, right?"_ Isshin quietly said, causing Ichigo's eyes to flair wide open when the teen turned to his dad.

"_Seriously?! I thought I was going to have to buy it."_

"_Yup. Perks to being a beta tester. And from what I know, you also get special equipment when you begin the game based on how you played."_

"_Useful."_ Ichigo replied before paying strict attention to the movie.

_'I hope you forgive me when the time comes, Ichigo. I know that you can do it, I just hope not too many people die before it is over with.'_ Isshin thought with a grim look.

And as the two months came and went, SAO was all Ichigo thought about. He dreamed about being able to see his friend Argo again, about clearing through every single level of the game and fighting the final boss in an epic struggle. He counted each day down, slowly getting more hyped as the release date came, till the day before. In his excitement, Ichigo refused to sleep that night, planning on skipping school for the first day of the release just so that he could play longer.

He had waited in line for hours, standing at the front because of his rank as a Beta tester, and was getting glittery with excitement. _"Soon."_ He thought to himself. _"Soon I shall be slaying monsters again with that amazing fighting system, completing quests while gaining amazing gear, and playing with Argo."_ Ichigo nearly in bliss at the thought of returning to the game, almost missing the line shift forward as the doors opened up.

Startled, Ichigo ran back up to his spot behind the guy in the front of the line, his heart racing twenty miles an hour, and stepped up when the guy left. Pulling out a receipt, he impatiently waited for the guy to confirm the details before sprinting out the door with his game in hand, never slowing down even as he got in his house, past his family, straight to his room. Cracking open his game, Ichigo inserted it to the NerveGear and put the helmet on, and watched as the familiar lights of old passed him by, bringing up a log-in screen. Inserting his old information, Ichigo closed his eyes as a weird feeling of vertigo overtook him.

He then opened his eyes ever so slowly when the feeling passed and grinned wider then even Kenpachi could when in a blood-rage. All around him was the beautiful sights of the Town of Beginnings, constantly being punctuating by the burst of pixels as more players joined in. with a merry laugh, Ichigo ran with his arms outstretched, swerving around players and jumping over various venders.

Ichigo's run was suddenly stopped as a burst of pixels appeared before him, with a very familiar face stepping out from the light. Caught up in the adrenalin of his run, Ichigo ran up to this avatar, hugging the person with all his worth while laughing. She laughed as well, but pried his arms off of her, before turning and facing him. "Well that was quite the welcome!" She said, chuckling as Ichigo blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry Argo. I just was running and was caught in the moment." The laughter slowly died off and Ichigo finally noticed a binging noise, indicating he had a notification. Seeing that Argo saw it to, they clicked their notification icons, their jaws dropping at what they saw. The equipment they had before the beta ended was sitting in front of them. The message that came with the items read as this:

**[As a reward for beta testing this game, we have**

**awarded you the equipment from**

**your time playing with none of the limits they had,**

**as well as a bonus amount of cash.**

**Thank you for making this game as excellent as it is now]**

"You seeing this too, Argo?" Ichigo asked with his eyes widened as far as they could go.

"Uh huh." Came her muted reply, in a similar state of shock. However, her brain kicked into gear first. "But, it seems rather suspicious to me. I think it would be better to use the gold for started equipment first."

"That may be a good idea." Ichigo mused before closing his menu.

"Damn right it is, it was mine!" Argo said with a cocky grin, making Ichigo roll his eyes at her. "Come on, let's get our old starting equipment." She punctuated her comment by walking off without waiting for him. A passerby snickered, commenting on how he was "so whipped," causing Ichigo to grumble in annoyance before stalking off after her.

Not even thirty minutes later, they stood in front of the gates, armed as well as any new player could be, and began their assault upon the unsuspecting blue pigs that roamed the field outside of the beginning area.

Anyone watching them would not believe they were merely beginners. They moved fluidly from move to move, dancing the dark dance of death, cutting apart anything that got in the way. Ichigo would slide in, slashing off a large chunk of a mob's health with a two-handed sword with Argo coming in, clawing down the rest of the monster's health with her clawed weapons, with Ichigo then moving on with a small combo with a sword he would switch to. The dance only ended when there was no more mobs left, and they used this time to catch their breath and check the loot they got before going back into the fray, restarting their dance.

It didn't take long for the both of them to level up, both of them pause to share a smile, before they continued their grind. Several hours passed before the grind ended out of necessity. Their gear was at the breaking point, they were running low on energy, and both were hungry. As they brushed non-existent sweat of their brows, they were surprised by the small crowd that had gathered. Then they all began to clap, sending them through a loop.

A guy with black, shaggy hair a suave look, dressed in basic gear, then walked down to them, extending a hand out to Ichigo. "That was amazing!" The guy exclaimed. "You must be those beta testers, Ichigo and Argo, right?"

Ichigo tilted his head at the question, taking the guy's hand in handshake. "Yeah, how did you know?"

"I was a beta tester too. Name's Kirito." The guy said while pulling his hand back. "You two were famous back then because of your flawless teamwork." He then paused before talking again. "Well, that and the fact you both cleared a few bosses by yourselves was also a rather large reputation booster."

Argo then bopped her hand in the other, as if remembering something. "Ah, right! You were one of my most common customers, weren't you?" The guy merely nodded his head in confirmation. "Nice to see another beta so early on."

Then, as the guy was about to talk once again, everyone burst into pixels, reforming back at the center of the Town of Beginnings. Confusion was the most widespread emotion, noted mostly by the loud cries of the surrounding people. There was a loud chatter going on, only to meet sudden silence when the bell on the tower of the town's church began going off. The sky was then filled with large red hexagons, with the words[Attention] and [Urgent Message] flitting on each panel.

Then, the fountain began to flow blood-red water up into the sky, slowly shaping into the form of a giant, blood-red entity whose face was hidden from sight.

A quite mutter went through the crowd at its appearance when it began to speak.

"Welcome, players, to my world of Aincrad!"

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**So, how was it? Should you have any problems or concerns, just send me a review! Well, only inquire about something if you have a profile. Guests should just give me a critique. **

**Oh, and before anyone asks, there will be no harem, just Ichigo and Argo. This is set in steel people, so don't bother trying.**


End file.
